HELENA — From moccasins to mining equipment, there are a lot of impressive artifacts on display at the new Montana Heritage Center. However, what is on display isn’t even a fifth of what they have in their collection.
Most of the artifacts are in storage, which they’re still unpacking from their move.
“So we had two years, we packed up our entire collection, which is like 65,000 plus artifacts, so it's a ton of artifacts,” said Head of Collections Kendra Newhall. “It took us two years to pack up. It's probably going to take us much longer to unpack.”
(WATCH: Delving into the archives of the Montana Historical Society)
A relatively small, but dedicated team of historians and archivists cares for and catalogs the items. Many of the team members have their own historical specializations, such as art, indigenous culture, or firearms. While unboxing, they document the item again for cataloging and set it up in its new home. Sometimes a holder or display is built to help preserve the item from potential damage.
The new storage area for the artifacts is strictly temperature, humidity and light controlled. While it is not much different in square footage compared to the old location, they’re able to store more items thanks to upgrades.
“We were able to add the compact storage units, which allow us to really maximize the space more so than we ever were able to in our old storage area,” explained Newhall.
Each carriage can hold tens to thousands of items based on the size and needs of the artifact. It is an impressive collection locked away, but because the items are in the care of the State of Montana, anyone can view an item in storage. You just have to ask.
“Absolutely! We're more than happy to let people come in and view specific items that they're interested in,” noted Newhall. “Of course, you know, we like a little heads up on that just so that we can prepare.”
Each artifact in the state’s care has a personal connection to someone who lived in Montana and helps historians tell their stories. Staff say it is more common than people might think that they receive a public request to view an item. Families will sometimes request to view an item that belonged to or was donated by a family member.
When an item is donated, staff work with the family to help determine the age of the item, the historic relevance and if the Montana Historical Society is the best place for it. Newhall notes it can be an incredibly rewarding process.
(WATCH: Head of Collections Kendra Newhall recalls one of her favorite memories working at the Montana Historical Society)
“I was fortunate enough to curate an exhibit of Edgar Paxson,” Newhall recalled. “And that was a really great experience because I got to know some of his family really well and corresponded with them a lot.”
Born in 1852, Paxson was a prominent frontier painter in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He experienced frontier life and war firsthand. Like his contemporary Charles M. Russell, Paxson has several pieces prominently featured in the Montana State Capitol. On his passing in 1919, Russell wrote, “I am a painter too, but Paxson has done some things that I cannot do. He was a pioneer and a pioneer painter... Paxson has gone, but his pictures will not allow us to forget him.”
Newhall worked with and consulted the family of Paxson while developing the exhibit. After viewing the completed exhibit, the family donated Paxson’s diaries to the state.
“It was really wonderful to work with his family because they were just great. But it was great that they felt like they could trust us to care for and preserve those items that were so important to them,” Newhall noted. “That was something I'll always remember.”
Each item tells a story, and each carriage in storage has enough items for its own stand-alone exhibit. The staff regularly works to develop new exhibits and swap out items on display. But with the vast size of the collection, there is no way to display it all at once.
“And even if we could, we wouldn't because first and foremost, we need to preserve what we have and we need to take care of it,” said Newhall.
Ultimately, that's what the Montana Historical Society staff does best. They protect our past so that we can all find a path forward.
More information about the Montana Historical Society Library and Archives can be found here.
